Dec. 1, 2017
Although holiday music did occupy some of our reviewers' time this past month, they did find plenty of other music as well that might interest you. Much of that music was choral or for solo voices, but it ranged from medieval polyphony to a new work by James McCarthy which ingeniously uses the poetry of Sara Teasdale to recount the life of Alan Turing. There are new recordings of string quartets by Mendelssohn and Beethoven, and the piano etudes of Philip Glass, among others.
Blair Sanderson
Mary Bevan, Joseph Middleton - Voyages
Mark Elder, Hallé Orchestra - Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6 in E minor; Symphony No. 4 in F minor
Daniele Gatti, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - Mahler: Symphony No. 2
Matthias Goerne, Daniel Harding, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra - The Wagner Project
Megan Henderson, The Revels - Tutta Bella!: A Venetian Christmas Revels
René Jacobs, Freiburger Barockorchester - Mozart: Requiem
Philippe Jordan, Vienna Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Emma Kirkby, James Akers, Chelis Consort of Viols - A Pleasing Melancholy
William Lyons, The City Musick - The Topping Tooters of the Town: Music of the London Waits 1580-1650
Riccardo Muti, Wiener Philharmoniker - Bruckner: Symphony No. 2; Strauss: Der Bürger als Edelmann
Hervé Niquet, Le Concert Spirituel - Handel: Messiah 1754
Simon O'Neill, Matthias Goerne, Jaap van Zweden - Wagner: Siegfried
François-Xavier Roth, Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne - Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5
John Scott, Saint Thomas Choir of Men & Boys - Duruflé & Howells: Requiems
Sollazzo Ensemble - Parle Qui Veut: Moralizing Songs of the Middle Ages
James Manheim
Ilker Arcayürek, Simon Lepper - Franz Schubert: Der Einsame
The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, Stephen Darlington - The Gate of Glory: Music from the Eton Choirbook, Vol. 5
Marianne Crebassa, Fazil Say - Secrets: French Songs
Lucy Crowe, Czech Philharmonic, Manfred Honeck - Bohuslav Martinu: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Sabine Devieilhe - Mirages
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Christmas with the Dominican Sisters of Mary
Julia Doyle, David Temple, BBC Concert Orchestra, Hertfordshire Chorus - James McCarthy: Codebreaker; Will Todd: Ode to a Nightingale
Angèle Dubeau, La Pietà - Max Richter: Portrait
James Ehnes, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Manze - Beethoven: Violin Concerto Op. 61; Romances; Schubert: Rondo
Laurence Equilbey, Accentus - Schubert: Nacht & Träume
Angela Gheorghiu - Eternamente: The Verismo Album
The King's Singers - Gold
Jenny Lin - Philip Glass: Complete Etudes for Piano
Albrecht Mayer, I Musici di Roma - Tesori d'Italia
Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort - Silence & Music
Corinne Morris, Scottish Chamber Orchestra - Chrysalis
Simon Mulligan - Christmas at Steinway Hall
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Daniil Trifonov - Franz Schubert: Forellenquintett
Steven Osborne - Debussy: Images; L'Isle Joyeuse; Estampes; Masques
Ian Page, Classical Opera - Mozart: Il Sogno di Scipione
Quatuor Arod - Mendelssohn: Quartets, Op. 13, 44 No. 2; 4 Pieces; Frage, Op. 99
Quatuor Mosaïques - Beethoven: The Late Quartets
Michael Rafferty, Music Theatre Wales - Philip Glass: The Trial
Simon Rattle, London Symphony Orchestra - Debussy: Pelléas & Mélisande
Red Priest - Baroque Bohemians: Gypsy Fever from Campfire to Court
Carolyn Sampson, Iestyn Davies, Joseph Middleton - Lost Is My Quiet
Nathalie Stutzmann - Quella Fiamma: Arie Antiche
Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier - In Dulci Jubilo: Music for the Christmas season by Buxtehude and friends
Camille Thomas - Saint-Saëns, Offenbach
Various Artists - Debussy: Sonates & Trio
Various Artists - Scott Wollschleger: Soft Aberration
Lucienne Renaudin Vary - The Voice of the Trumpet
Anne Sofie von Otter, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu - Sibelius: Tapiola; En Saga; 8 Songs
Alexander Walker, New Russia State Symphony Orchestra - Havergal Brian: Symphonies Nos. 8, 21 and 26
Pretty Yende - Dreams
The Z.E.N. Trio - Brahms & Dvorák: Piano Trios
Blair Sanderson
Mary Bevan, Joseph Middleton - Voyages
Mark Elder, Hallé Orchestra - Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6 in E minor; Symphony No. 4 in F minor
Daniele Gatti, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - Mahler: Symphony No. 2
Matthias Goerne, Daniel Harding, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra - The Wagner Project
Megan Henderson, The Revels - Tutta Bella!: A Venetian Christmas Revels
René Jacobs, Freiburger Barockorchester - Mozart: Requiem
Philippe Jordan, Vienna Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Emma Kirkby, James Akers, Chelis Consort of Viols - A Pleasing Melancholy
William Lyons, The City Musick - The Topping Tooters of the Town: Music of the London Waits 1580-1650
Riccardo Muti, Wiener Philharmoniker - Bruckner: Symphony No. 2; Strauss: Der Bürger als Edelmann
Hervé Niquet, Le Concert Spirituel - Handel: Messiah 1754
Simon O'Neill, Matthias Goerne, Jaap van Zweden - Wagner: Siegfried
François-Xavier Roth, Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne - Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5
John Scott, Saint Thomas Choir of Men & Boys - Duruflé & Howells: Requiems
Sollazzo Ensemble - Parle Qui Veut: Moralizing Songs of the Middle Ages
James Manheim
Ilker Arcayürek, Simon Lepper - Franz Schubert: Der Einsame
The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, Stephen Darlington - The Gate of Glory: Music from the Eton Choirbook, Vol. 5
Marianne Crebassa, Fazil Say - Secrets: French Songs
Lucy Crowe, Czech Philharmonic, Manfred Honeck - Bohuslav Martinu: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Sabine Devieilhe - Mirages
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Christmas with the Dominican Sisters of Mary
Julia Doyle, David Temple, BBC Concert Orchestra, Hertfordshire Chorus - James McCarthy: Codebreaker; Will Todd: Ode to a Nightingale
Angèle Dubeau, La Pietà - Max Richter: Portrait
James Ehnes, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Manze - Beethoven: Violin Concerto Op. 61; Romances; Schubert: Rondo
Laurence Equilbey, Accentus - Schubert: Nacht & Träume
Angela Gheorghiu - Eternamente: The Verismo Album
The King's Singers - Gold
Jenny Lin - Philip Glass: Complete Etudes for Piano
Albrecht Mayer, I Musici di Roma - Tesori d'Italia
Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort - Silence & Music
Corinne Morris, Scottish Chamber Orchestra - Chrysalis
Simon Mulligan - Christmas at Steinway Hall
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Daniil Trifonov - Franz Schubert: Forellenquintett
Steven Osborne - Debussy: Images; L'Isle Joyeuse; Estampes; Masques
Ian Page, Classical Opera - Mozart: Il Sogno di Scipione
Quatuor Arod - Mendelssohn: Quartets, Op. 13, 44 No. 2; 4 Pieces; Frage, Op. 99
Quatuor Mosaïques - Beethoven: The Late Quartets
Michael Rafferty, Music Theatre Wales - Philip Glass: The Trial
Simon Rattle, London Symphony Orchestra - Debussy: Pelléas & Mélisande
Red Priest - Baroque Bohemians: Gypsy Fever from Campfire to Court
Carolyn Sampson, Iestyn Davies, Joseph Middleton - Lost Is My Quiet
Nathalie Stutzmann - Quella Fiamma: Arie Antiche
Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier - In Dulci Jubilo: Music for the Christmas season by Buxtehude and friends
Camille Thomas - Saint-Saëns, Offenbach
Various Artists - Debussy: Sonates & Trio
Various Artists - Scott Wollschleger: Soft Aberration
Lucienne Renaudin Vary - The Voice of the Trumpet
Anne Sofie von Otter, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu - Sibelius: Tapiola; En Saga; 8 Songs
Alexander Walker, New Russia State Symphony Orchestra - Havergal Brian: Symphonies Nos. 8, 21 and 26
Pretty Yende - Dreams
The Z.E.N. Trio - Brahms & Dvorák: Piano Trios